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Just a thought - but if its temporary, why bother making up ladder line ?
I would be stringing up some tv twinlead

"Alex AG0Z" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm installing a temporary V antenna with a 600 ohm ladder feed about
50 ft in length. Anybody have experience using 6" wood dowels as
separators? What happens when it rains?

Way back years ago, back when men were men, when DOS was unheard of, and AM
was king, the thing to do was to get a big ol' slab of paraffin and a double
boiler. Melt the paraffin in the double boiler and boil the wooden dowels
in the paraffin. The dowels absorbed the wax and became (somewhat)
waterproof after which they could be used as spacers.

--

-----
Joe S.

"Alex AG0Z" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm installing a temporary V antenna with a 600 ohm ladder feed about
50 ft in length. Anybody have experience using 6" wood dowels as
separators? What happens when it rains?

Joe S. wrote:
Way back years ago, back when men were men, when DOS was unheard of,
and AM
was king, the thing to do was to get a big ol' slab of paraffin and a
double
boiler. Melt the paraffin in the double boiler and boil the wooden
dowels
in the paraffin. The dowels absorbed the wax and became (somewhat)
waterproof after which they could be used as spacers.

You beat me to it. Right out of my 1955 ARRL Handbook . .

-----
Joe S.

w3rv

"Alex AG0Z" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm installing a temporary V antenna with a 600 ohm ladder feed
about
50 ft in length. Anybody have experience using 6" wood dowels as
separators? What happens when it rains?

"Hal Rosser" wrote in message
...
Just a thought - but if its temporary, why bother making up ladder line ?
I would be stringing up some tv twinlead

"Alex AG0Z" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm installing a temporary V antenna with a 600 ohm ladder feed about
50 ft in length. Anybody have experience using 6" wood dowels as
separators? What happens when it rains?

If you intend using the antenna on frequencies where its length is less than
a quarter wave; the losses on 300 TV twin lead can be very high. Also you
will likely exceed the breakdown voltage of the TV twinlead. On 7MHz, and
above, the TV twin lead will be acceptable.

Frank wrote:
"Hal Rosser" wrote in message
...
Just a thought - but if its temporary, why bother making up ladder line ?
I would be stringing up some tv twinlead

"Alex AG0Z" wrote in message
groups.com...
I'm installing a temporary V antenna with a 600 ohm ladder feed about
50 ft in length. Anybody have experience using 6" wood dowels as
separators? What happens when it rains?

If you intend using the antenna on frequencies where its length is less than
a quarter wave; the losses on 300 TV twin lead can be very high. Also you
will likely exceed the breakdown voltage of the TV twinlead. On 7MHz, and
above, the TV twin lead will be acceptable.

that would work with my present wife - but not with the ex :-)
momma would hit me on the head for messen' up a good pot. now she'll have to
use it - in her canning endeavors.
Drilling the holes in the dowels first helped also

"Joe S." wrote in message
...
Way back years ago, back when men were men, when DOS was unheard of, and
AM
was king, the thing to do was to get a big ol' slab of paraffin and a
double
boiler. Melt the paraffin in the double boiler and boil the wooden dowels
in the paraffin. The dowels absorbed the wax and became (somewhat)
waterproof after which they could be used as spacers.

If you use insulated wire to make up the ladder line, it doesn't matter
quite as much if the wood dowels conduct a little when wet... On the
other hand, why not use 1/2" drip line tubing? It's easy to cut, not too
bad to drill, and if you cut little v-shaped notches to the drill holes
(or punch them) you can just "snap in" the wire. There's a fellow that
sells ladder line made this way (insulated wire snapped into dripline
tubing spreaders) and it works great. He also sells G5RV antennas so a
search on G5RV may net you the guy... (Don't remember at the moment, and
am in the middle of an endless move from a large house to a small rental
while we build the new QTH. Not fun, and my time is extremely limited
for the next week or so at least...)

Thanks
--Rick AH7H

Alex AG0Z wrote:
I'm installing a temporary V antenna with a 600 ohm ladder feed about
50 ft in length. Anybody have experience using 6" wood dowels as
separators? What happens when it rains?

My Grandfather was a general contractor, I can still remember, in his
basement, a two gallon compression lid can. It contained wooden dowels
soaking in what he called "Teak Varnish." Some of these dowels had become
so "water logged" with the varnish they sank....
These he used on transmission lines as insulators...

I suspect holy wars could be fought over these insulators--I think his
choice just pertained to his profession...

Warmest regards,
John

"Alex AG0Z" wrote in message
oups.com...
| I'm installing a temporary V antenna with a 600 ohm ladder feed about
| 50 ft in length. Anybody have experience using 6" wood dowels as
| separators? What happens when it rains?
|